Black Hills State University Professor of Language Arts Education Denice Turner has
published a new memoir, “A Beginner's Guide to Faults,” a literary achievement that
highlights the creative and scholarly contributions of BHSU faculty.
Published by the University of Nevada Press, “A Beginner's Guide to Faults” explores fidelity and forgiveness through Turner's long-term marriage and its eventual unraveling. Drawing on the language of geology, Turner examines how secrets intended to spare feelings can act like hidden faults beneath a relationship’s surface, ultimately undermining its integrity. She describes the memoir as a story about redemption and grace—of loving someone forever, even when a relationship ends.
Turner, who teaches in BHSU's College of Education, spent 15 years writing and reflecting on the experiences that inspired the memoir.
The memoir, which was released on October 13, has earned praise from established authors and literary scholars.
“Both tender and unsparing, ‘A Beginner’s Guide to Faults’ follows one woman’s search for meaning amid the unraveling of both her marriage and faith,” said Eleanor Brown, New York Times bestselling author of “The Weird Sisters.” “With whip-smart insight and an unfailingly wry sense of humor, Denice Turner reveals how even our deepest failures can become a kind of wisdom.”
Turner said her work as an educator shaped both her writing and her understanding of the personal growth and transformation explored in the memoir.
“As a professor, I see students building the story of their lives every day,” Turner said. “I am inspired by their desire to learn and grow and do something beautiful in this world. So many Black Hills State University students want to give back to their communities and families. They become the younger me I speak to in the book, who are young and unsure and hurling themselves into the future.”
She said her work as a writer also influences her approach to teaching.
“My writing informs my teaching because it allows me to be ‘wide awake,’ as Maxine Greene would say, playfully aware of my own biases and contradictions and alert to how others experience the world,” Turner said.
To further explore themes from the book and discuss her writing process, Turner will present a Geek Speak lecture, “Field Guide to Faults,” on Nov. 2 from 4 to 5 p.m. in Jonas Hall 110. The event is free and open to the public.